The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) discusses remote provisioning of subscription for Machine-to-Machine equipment (M2ME) (see 3GPP TR 33.812 V9.0.0). According to TR 33.812, M2ME, which is a kind of a communication device, is provided with a temporary private identity called a Provisional Connectivity ID (PCID). The PCID follows the same format as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and a network operator identified by the PCID is called a Registration Operator (RO). The M2ME accesses the RO using the PCID, and requests for subscription information called a Machine Communication Identity Module (MCIM). Upon request, the RO accesses another network operator called a Selected Home Operator (SHO), receives the MCIM issued by the SHO, and forwards the MCIM to the M2ME.
In this way, the M2ME is able to obtain the MCIM from the SHO via the RO using the PCID just one time, and thereafter, the M2ME is able to attach a 3GPP network using the MCIM.
The mechanism of TR 33.812 is convenient for a user of a communication device such as a mobile phone in that it is possible for the user to obtain subscription information for the communication device via a network.
Through the mechanism of TR 33.812, a user of a mobile phone can easily obtain an MCIM, which equates to a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) in this context, and provision it into the mobile phone as needed. Accordingly, it will be more likely in the future that a single mobile phone is provided with two or more USIMs.
For example, assume the scenario where a user living in Sweden makes a trip to Japan. Initially, the mobile phone of the user is provided with a USIM (“USIM-S”) of a Swedish network operator (“Operator-S”). After arriving in Japan, the user decides to subscribe to a Japanese network operator (“Operator-J”). The user provisions a USIM (“USIM-J”) of Operator-J into the mobile phone, and causes the mobile phone to attach a 3GPP network using USIM-J. Because the user maintains the subscription to Operator-S, the mobile phone is provided with two USIMs.
However, while the user is using USIM-J, because attaching a 3GPP network using USIM-S cannot be performed, the user cannot receive a phone call addressed to the phone number of USIM-S. Although Operator-S may provide a call transfer service, in the conventional art, it is cumbersome for the user to subscribe to the call transfer service and correctly configure the service such that a phone call addressed to the phone number of USIM-S is transferred to the phone number of USIM-J.
Moreover, while the user is using USIM-J, the user cannot make a phone call using the phone number of USIM-S as a caller phone number.